Six Sleepless Favorites

As 2011 wraps up, it's that time of year when everybody and their donkey's aunt starts compiling lists. Today marks the official anniversary of the Young and Restless Family's move from Samoa to NZ. Daaayuum we made it! One year. Looking back over a year of blogging and more blogging, I realized that this blog has reflected a lot on our journey as we have tried to adjust to our new life in the Land of the Long White Cloud. Here's six of my favorites.

1. Who's the Idiot?  NZ has given us a lot of new experiences, from huge challenges to small ones. To seemingly mundane ones at the petrol station....In this post we meet the idiot dude who started off looking a lot like Ryan Reynolds. ( everyone sigh with me now) But by the end of my disastrous attempt to refuel our car, the service station attendant had become "the ugliest man I had ever seen."

2. High School is a War Zone Earlier in the year I tried to get a real job as a secondary school English teacher. But times have changed in the field of education. You have to be tattooed from head to toe, have a black belt in Kendo or star as a cage fighter on the weekends - if you want to make it. I was never a martial arts advisor on Kill Bill so I didn't end  up working as a teacher this year. Which in hindsight, was a good thing, because otherwise, I would never have had the time to finish writing TELESA - because I would have been too busy kicking Uma Thurman's butt.
3. He's Got Nuts Some of us tried new sports. Little Son Zach played rugby league and I gleefully embraced the visions of Sonny Bill Williams-type sporting glory for my son when the coach pronounced in awe, "Your son's got balls. I mean nuts. I mean excuse my language, he's tough." Yes, yes, that's wonderful, but how soon can I - oops, I mean- he- be friends with Sonny Bill?


4. Shakin my Bootie at the Market  When I lived in Samoa, I was rich. Or at least I was married to a really rich man and thus by osmosis, that made me rich. In NZ I am not rich. (Yes, that's right, I'm married to a different man...still Hot but not rich. Is credit to Hot Man's hotness that he can be poor and STILL be Hot.) So I tried my hand at being an entrepeneur, baking cinnamon rolls for the Saturday Market Fair. Ha. Quickest way to feel like a total waste of earth-space LOSER.

5.No Sex Allowed My biggest worry before we moved was whether or not our children would be able to adjust well. Would they make friends? Would they cope with new schools and more? Big Son quickly alleviated those fears when he met a most engaging young woman at school...and yes, the long-dreaded horror ocurred. My first-born, my 16yrd old baby, my precious darling...got himself a girlfriend. So what does a 21st century Samoan mother do when she meets her son's girlfriend for the first time? She gets up close and personal.

6.The Journey to be prettier than all his Ex-Girlfriends put together. Begins with Cookies. For me, discovering life in NZ has been synonymous with discovering all the food that NZ has to offer. So I finally faced the fat facts and joined the gym. My fitness goals began as deliciously as they ended - with cookies. Now? I'm embracing my luscious self. In all its multi-layered lusciousness. Bring on 2012!

Thank you for hanging out with me on Sleepless in Samoa this year. What was YOUR favorite blogpost?! (and don't you dare say the one about Jason Momoa's tattoos. Because we are not allowed to talk about tattoos anymore on this blog!) Hoping you all have a blessed festive season with much fun, laughter and peace with your loved ones.